[sacw] SACW #1 | 26 Sept. 02

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Wire #1 | 26 September 2002

__________________________

#1. Murder and mayhem in Karachi, Gandhi nagar... : A comment (M.B. Naqvi)
#2. Reflections on Gandhinagar temple attack (Mukul Dube)
#3. Kashmir: Interim Report of the Second Phase
of the State Assembly elections held on 24th September 2002 ( J&K=20
Coalition of Civil Society)
#4. Politics of 'Bandh' by VHP (Rohit Prajapati and Trupti Shah)
#5. India: All civilians in Gujarat must be protected (Amnesty Internation=
al )

__________________________

#1.

Murder and mayhem in Karachi, Gandhi nagar: A comment

by M.B. Naqvi

Karachi September 25:

Close on the heels of Gandhi Nagar carnage in the troubled Gujarat=20
state by suicide killers, six persons sitting in the office of a=20
Christian charity and people with left-of-centre NGO,=20
Idara-e-Amn-o-Insaf (institution for peace and justice) in Karachi=20
were gunned down early Wednesday (Sept 25) morning. Apart from the=20
incidents in India, this Karachi massacre was not the first of its=20
kind while many will want to know whether there is anything in common=20
among the killers.

A large number of strange murders have taken place in Karachi in=20
recent months. In almost all cases the victims had some link with=20
intellectual-political activity that can be broadly described as=20
progressive, i.e. with left-of-centre leanings. A couple of weeks=20
ago, in the Irtaqa Institute, a private leftist research body, two=20
persons were murdered by using a bizarre technique that also seems to=20
have been used to murder Omar Asghar Khan, a recently resigned=20
Minister of Musharraf government --- again with a left-of-centre=20
reputation.

In the technique apparently there is no shooting, stabbing or noise=20
involved. Killers, surreptitiously or no matter how, first drug the=20
victim(s) unconscious and then tightly tape their mouths or noses.=20
Victims die without any strong movement of hands because the hands=20
are already bound behind their backs after sedation. It is strangely=20
elaborate. Any number of such cases are known to have taken place,=20
with police having tried to prevent them reaching the media=20
supposedly to prevent a public scare.

Karachi is a special place with its crime rate that remains unmatched=20
by any other notorious city. It is a sprawling filthy city of well=20
over a crore of people, half of whom live in shanty towns, mostly=20
established and dominated by various Mafioso, and most of these=20
people are desperately poor, with virtually no access to education or=20
healthcare in this age of privatisation. The unemployment rate is a=20
closely guarded public secret.

Karachi may look utterly underdeveloped but it has many ultra-modern=20
facilities in posh and rich localities. Perhaps the most modern=20
things are crime syndicates. Which other city can boast of 8 to 10=20
cars and 15 to 24 motor bikes being hijacked daily, as an average, at=20
the point of the gun almost never to be found or rich people being=20
kidnapped for ransom. These are even more flourishing businesses=20
under a military regime, not to mention the unending narcotics=20
(heroin) business.

But most worrying fact about Karachi is its penchant and ability to=20
harbour, support, protect and fund Islamic fanatic organisations of=20
all kinds. In the past, Karachi was politically dominated by=20
religious parties during which period incredibly rich Madressas and=20
related establishments came into being with wide-scale influence. The=20
world talks about Pakistan's tribal belts bulging with Islamic=20
terrorists: al-Qaeda, Taliban and others. It was not wrong. But for=20
truly modern well-knit sub-rosa networks of terrorism, Karachi is the=20
place. It has simple but murderous Islamic zealots who concern=20
themselves with killing merely Shias or Hindus or Christians. Their=20
more committed friends go for Jihad in Kashmir. Befriending Taliban=20
or al-Qaeda and working for them describes the aristocracy among=20
Islamic terrorist fraternity. Karachi is their rear or strategic base=20
where apparently money and protection are ample.

What these high-class terrorists are after is hard to know. Who their=20
patrons are and what do they want out of them is not hard to know: it=20
is power in chaotic Pakistan, even if it may not be easy to identify=20
the masterminds. Some think it is the top leadership of the religious=20
leaders, in cahoots with powerful Mafiasos, who think that the=20
present state structure is unclean and hitched to the evil American=20
wagon. A basic change would of course be welcome to all of this=20
gentry: patrons, leaders and the committed foot soldiers.

Suicide attacks on Indian Parliament or the one on Gandhi Nagar=20
temple come just as natural to them as killing minorities or heretics=20
in Pakistan. If a war breaks out with India, it is apparently so much=20
the better for this particular elite group or if India is engulfed in=20
a communal holocaust it does not feel alarmed --- under a variety of=20
illusions. It is hard to read this mind set. But one thing can be=20
said: this group is no friend of President Musharraf, no matter how=20
hard he tries to genuflect in both American and Islamic directions;=20
there is no going back to the halcyon days prior to 9/11.

_____

#2

Delhi, 25 September 2002, 6 p.m.

A while ago the All India Radio news bulletin said that papers found=20
in the pockets of the terrorists killed in the Gandhinagar temple=20
storming spoke of a group whose name had not been heard before.=20
Speculation therefore is that the group was formed specifically to=20
avenge the post-Godhra violence.

Since the affair began yesterday, I have spoken to several people=20
about it. Here I shall describe the reactions of two of them. They=20
both happen to be Muslims, which is neither here nor there as both=20
were speaking only as rational human beings. I mention their religion=20
only to suggest that all of us have it in us to be rational, even=20
when we are under great strain.

One, a writer and poet and former teacher, said that he was reminded=20
of the Godhra incident. Specifically, he said that this (or this too)=20
might be a provocation. He said that rabid Hindutvavadis would think=20
nothing of sacrificing a few of their own pawns if the gains to be=20
had were substantial. These gains would be, of course, the attacking=20
and butchering of very many hundreds of Muslims, which action would=20
be declared justified because it was inspired by the provocation. He=20
pointed to what he saw as a further parallel: the bandh call given by=20
the VHP. Finally, he said that his speculation was most probably=20
wrong.

The second, a welder who runs his own small fabrication business,=20
said that a man's patience and his ability to withstand pain were=20
limited. In the beginning he would think that the action which caused=20
him discomfort was an accident, later he would try to ignore it --=20
but finally, when it had gone on long enough and had been shown to be=20
deliberate, he would lose his cool. That is, a person pushed to the=20
wall, hands tied behind his back, who saw many of his kind being shot=20
against that very wall, was liable to go berserk. "I probably won't=20
live long, and in any case I don't want to live this way -- so, if I=20
am to die, why not take a few with me?" This will take the place of=20
reason.

I can see the temptation of the first line of thought. Something=20
happened very recently, something incredibly big, so we are bound to=20
see in every new event a possible repetition of that. But I opt for=20
the second line; which I shall put in a slightly different way:=20
Lunacy Begets Lunacy. This is not to justify it, only a possible=20
explanation.

I cannot understand Mr. Advani's harping on the theme that the=20
Gujarat temple attack was a response to failure in Kashmir. I doubt=20
that anyone else can see the connection; and I am certain that no one=20
can forget the likely connection with what began in Gujarat on 28=20
February 2002. Advani is saying that groups of terrorists exist for=20
whom Kashmir and Gujarat are interchangeable fields of action. I do=20
not know if he means Pakistan or the World Muslim Brotherhood which=20
he will have created many times over. These guys are really creative.

Nor can I understand Mr. Arun Jaitley, that other master of sophistry=20
and side-stepping, repeatedly evading=A0questions by singing his song=20
about the reaction of a "mature democracy". I can clearly recall what=20
this Jaitley said and did not say when people were being raped and=20
burnt and massacred in Gujarat, and I am forced to conclude that for=20
him, that must have been an example of "mature democracy". Except he=20
hadn't found this particular buzz word then.

Terrorism has always been thought a bad thing. In this year since the=20
WTC attack, though, it has achieved a prominence which it never had=20
before: possibly because Mr. George W. Bush, Jr., the Ultimate=20
Arbiter, declared it not just a bad thing but the worst.

I do not argue with the label "terrorist" being given to the men who=20
managed to carry a large supply of rifles and magazines and grenades=20
into the temple in Gandhinagar. But I see that they are easy to so=20
label because they were few and they worked in secret. Those who do=20
their thing in bands of hundreds, in the daytime and in full view of=20
all, cannot be so easily labelled terrorists.

I believe, though, that we should rethink the label so that it may be=20
applied also to the butchers and rapists of Gujarat. If Saddam can be=20
the head of one "terrorist state", why should apro very own N. Modi=20
be denied the honour? He has the backing of the Advanis and the=20
Jaitleys, after all, both big guns in what they clearly hope to turn=20
into a terrorist nation-state.

Mukul Dube

_____

#3.

J&K Coalition of Civil Society

Interim Report of the Second Phase
of the State Assembly elections held on 24th September 2002

As members of the Independent Observers=B9 Group, organized by the=20
civil society coalition, we were to observe the conduct of the=20
elections for the J&K State Legislative Assembly. The group=B9s terms=20
of reference were: -

1. Use of coercion

2. Interaction with electorate to find out why they participated or abstain=
ed

In this endeavour we formed joint teams comprising of people from=20
Jammu and Kashmir and different parts of India. The Civil Society=20
Coalition sent four teams, which between them covered fifteen=20
constituencies and around 120 polling booths in the districts of=20
Srinagar and Budgam. While our final report with complete documentary=20
evidence would be made available after the completion of the=20
elections, we are releasing an Interim Report of the Second Phase.=A0

Twenty one volunteers from all over India and J&K divided into four=20
groups and toured for the following constituencies.

Team =AD I : - Kangan, Ganderbal and Hazratbal constituency.

Team =AD II : - Zadibal, Idgah, Khanyar and Habakadal constituency.

Team =AD III : - Amirakadal, Sonwar, Batamaloo and Chadoora constituency.

Team =AD IV : - Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib and Char-e- Sharief constituen=
cy.

The rural areas of Budgam, Ganderbal and Kangan witnessed moderate=20
turnout, due to local compulsions and coercion by the security forces=20
but the constituencies from Srinagar witnessed a total boycott. While=20
number of instances of coercion was fewer than in the first phase,=20
the teams have come across instances at Habakadal in Srinagar,=20
Teuhene in Ganderbal, rural areas in Budgam and Beerwah which merit=20
serious attention. But unfortunately some of the instances were more=20
violent than even in the first phase.

1. Kanihama, Beerwah constituency

There was a widespread fear of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) personnel, who=20
had been forcing people to vote. From different sources across the=20
village it was confirmed that the R.R. had got a young man to=20
announce from the local mosque a threat that anyone found not having=20
cast his / her vote would lose their index finger and have their legs=20
and arms broken. The threat appeared to have worked partially as the=20
grudging queues of voters indicated. We say grudging because they did=20
say very clearly to us that they were herded to the booths under=20
duress. Some of the people said they had put the indelible ink at=20
home rather than go to the booth to suffer the humiliation casting=20
their vote. This way they would be able to not cast the vote and also=20
save themselves from the ensuing retribution.

2. Gundipora, Beerwah constituency

In this village we were surrounded by young boys who forced us to=20
stop the car. We were then escorted to a nearby clinic where the=20
villagers said a man had been taken after being assaulted by the=20
S.O.G (Special Operations Group). We did indeed find the man who=20
identified himself as Bashir Ahmed, son of Abdul Rahman Butt,=20
resident of the village, aged 42. He is a government employee. The=20
man=B9s left arm was bleeding and had a deep gash and the doctor who=20
saw him told us that the forearm may have been actually fractured.=20
The crowd, by now angry and firmly perched inside the clinic and=20
spread outside in the park, accused the police of beating several=20
people who had refused to go to the polling booths.

3. Kawoosa, Beerwah constituency

Our team went to this village because at the previous village they=20
received hints from the JKP (Jammu and Kashmir Police) that there was=20
trouble here. On reaching there, the crowds took the team into the=20
village so that we could see the Rashtriya Rifles violence. The team=20
asked the people about the violence in front of the Rashtriya Rifles=20
men and they kept shouting that they were forced out of their homes.=20
Aiajaz Ahmed told us that his mother and grandfather were beaten=20
along with him and were forced to come out of their homes. There were=20
numerous such instances cited by the people. An aged woman said she=20
was willing to cast her vote even under duress but failed to=20
understand why the troops had dragged out her two grand daughters who=20
were in their teens but not eligible to vote.

4. Sunoor Kalipora, Beerwah constituency

The team was taking a break at a private home when a bus honked to=20
ask our driver to move out of the congested alley. We came out to see=20
scores of ordinary and terrified looking people, women and men, being=20
escorted by the R.R. personnel ostensibly to the polling booth. When=20
the question was posed to the commander of this group of R.R., who=20
was traveling separately in a tractor behind the bus, he said he did=20
not know where the people were being taken or who was taking them.=20
This was a brazen untruth, since the team saw the R.R. men sitting at=20
the back of the bus. This village has been at the forefront of the=20
militancy in the early 1990s.

5. Ompura, Budgam constituency

While returning from the Beerwah constituency, our team=20
stopped for a moment in Ompura market where a 70 year old man, Khaliq=20
Bhat was being abused by the Special Operations Group (S.O.G)=20
personnel for abstaining from voting. The old man then thanked our=20
team, as he said that he was saved because of our presence.

6. Soibug, Budgam constituency

Our team visited Soibug, the village which is located between=20
the two huge camps of Army on its either sides (Shariefabad and=20
Daharmuna camps). The residents from this village said that they are=20
under the tremendous pressure from the army to cast their votes.

7. Zaindar Mohalla, Habakadal constituency

At 3:55 our team while returning from the Habakadal constituency,=20
came across a big crowd of very angry and outraged women. They said=20
some Special Task Force (S.T.F) men had entered at least a dozen=20
homes, destroyed property and beaten up people for having boycotted=20
the elections. Among the victims we met was 70 year old Fataa who was=20
in a complete state of shock. Fataa=B9s daughter who was sick was=20
dragged out of the bed. For the locality it was not only the attack=20
which worried them but the threat of the S.T.F to come back in the=20
evening to teach them a "proper lesson". People were too frightened=20
to lodge a formal complaint with the police station because they=20
feared the reprisals would be worse.

8. Kursoo Rajbagh Bund, Amirakadal constituency

At 2:15 pm, when the team reached the area, the JK Police personnel=20
were knocking door-to-door of houses, asking people to come out of=20
their homes to cast their votes. The team found that none of the=20
officials or constables in the police team were wearing their=20
nameplates (which looked removed from their shirts) and when=20
confronted by the Observers=B9 team, they excused themselves on the=20
pretext that they were only letting people know that the latter were=20
free and safe to come out of their houses and that the earlier=20
=8Cencounter=B9 with militants at Rajbagh was over. This was clearly not=20
the case as per the complaints received by the team from people in=20
the locality.

9. Teuhene, Ganderbal constituency

Our team decided to go into the interior areas of Ganderbal=20
constituency. When we reached Teuhene (Block Lar) at 3:50 p.m.,=20
people saw our press stickers and stopped our vehicle complaining of=20
Rashtriya Rifles going around asking people to cast their ballot.

Apart from coercion we would like to highlight different types of=20
electoral malpractices that were observed by our team members.

1. (a) At 9 a.m. our team went to Ganderpora polling booth no. 44=20
and found 8 votes had been cast between 7a.m. and 8:30 a.m. This was=20
by one group of seven burqa clad women and one man. On inquiry the=20
polling officials said that none of the women had any identification=20
papers, although they said man had a voter identity card. The polling=20
agent of National Conference who vouched for these women was from=20
another locality and could not actually identify these women. The=20
local people who were outside the booth claimed nobody from=20
Ganderpora locality had voted. They said the women and the man had=20
come in a Sumo jeep. This was corroborated by the security personnel=20
outside who told us that the only voters who come to the polling=20
booth had come in a Sumo.

(b) In Bhagwanpura polling station also, we found that two women=20
without any identification papers who were trying to cast their vote=20
did not figure in the list of voters for the locality.

This was also the case in Ghassi Mohala. In all cases, the women came=20
in burqa.

2. Voting by minors: In Aripanthan, Beerwah constituency, a minor=20
girl of 12 years =AD a class VI student - cast her vote for the first=20
time and told the team confidently that her friends too will be=20
casting their votes. She had not only the indelible mark on her=20
finger, but carried a voter card and had her name in the election=20
rolls.

This was not the only case which the teams came across of minors=20
casting their vote.

3. Duderhama, Ganderbal, booth no. 19: Our team arrived in Duderhama=20
(Ganderbal constituency) at 9:45 a.m. and visited polling booth 19.=20
By then 72 votes were cast. The polling officer gave us the size of=20
electorate as being 991. When we returned to the same booth at 4:15=20
p.m. when polling had closed the same polling officer told us that=20
out of 1251 electorate strength only 170 had cast their ballot. We=20
don=B9t know why and how voter strength was increased in the course of=20
voting.

4. Lack of verification of voters: In most of the polling booths,=20
the directions laid down by the Election Commission of India for the=20
verification of the identity of the voters were not being=20
implemented; it was completely left on the discretion of the polling=20
agents of the political parties to verify the identity of the voters.

5. In Hasigund, Beerwah constituency polling booth the Electronic=20
voting machine was awaited at 7.40 in another booth voting continued=20
way beyond 5 pm.

The Election Commission of India from time to time has=20
announced that security forces are neither to ask people to cast=20
their ballot or not to vote. Thus the fact that Rashtriya Rifles and=20
S.T.F did go asking people to vote, accompanied at times with the=20
threat of dire consequences, is highly improper. Equally the=20
directive of the Election Commission that Burqa clad women have to=20
show their face to the polling officer was not followed in any of the=20
booths.

As per our calculation, identification of a bonafide voter,=20
his or her registration mainly accompanied by his or her signature,=20
placing the indelible ink on the finger and then casting of ballot=20
takes between 1- 1 _ minute. This means that in a nine hour long=20
voting period no more than 540 votes can be cast, which suggests an=20
inherent shortcoming in accommodating larger number of votes.

Finally, in addition to acts of coercion and malpractice, we would=20
like to point to a salient feature of both the first and the second=20
phase. This is with regard to our second term of reference, which was=20
to interact with people to find out why they did or did not vote.=20
Those who went to cast their vote voluntarily and affirmatively said=20
that they were doing so either to defeat the National Conference or=20
to back a candidate who they believed would address long-standing=20
local issues. In response to the question whether elections would=20
resolve the problem that has plagued Kashmir for 13 years those who=20
voted as well as respondents who had not were unanimous in=20
insisting that elections were by and large unrelated to the solution=20
of their basic problem confronting the people and what they wanted=20
was Azadi (Freedom).

Vijayan M.J.=20
Mir Hafeezullah
Convener,=20
Gen.Secy,
Civil Society Initiatives =AD India=20
J&K CCS
Ph:(011) =AD 6561743/ 6514847=20
Ph: (0194) =AD 456381

Note: - Following were the members of the Independent Observers Team

1. E. Deenadayalan
2. Dr. Prakash Louis
3. Dr. Bashir Ahmed
4. Javed Naqvi
5. G.N. Hagroo
6. Gautam Navlaka
7. Mir Hafeezullah
8. Lata Jishnu
9. Zaheer ud Din
10. Mazhar Hussain
11. Nazir Malik
12. Khurram Parvez
13. Vijayan M.J.
14. Ram Rattan Chatterjee
15. Ms. Vimala
16. Ms. Dilafroze Qazi
17. Sajad Hussain
18. Adil Nazir
19. Shabeer Ibne Yousuf
20. Shaiq Nazir
21. Rizwan Alam

_______

#4.

Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 04:35:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: ROHIT & TRUPTI
Subject: POLITICS OF BANDH BY VHP

The roots of the practice of "BANDH" may lie in
"collective bargaining" in the history but nowadays,
bandhs are implemented by the forced closure of shops
and business houses - a method that is anything but
not voluntary, and thus undemocratic.

The roots of the practice of "BANDH" may lie in
'collective bargaining' in the histry. In fact, during
the struggle for freedom, bandhs (which were called
"HARTAL" then) were entirely different in nature and
aim. The method then used to have the whole-hearted
support of the people, since it was used for the
sacred cause of securing social and economic justice
and political freedom.
Nowadays, bandhs are implemented by the forced closure
of shops and business houses - a method that is
anything but not voluntary, and thus undemocratic.
Bandh calls are for the most part obeyed not because
of support or involvement, but out of fear and terror.
Calls for bandh are fundamentally wrong as they
interfere with the exercise of the fundamental rights
of millions of citizens. They cause great hardship and
suffering. Since bandhs are forced on the people,
every bandh is associated with violence, resulting in
loss of life, public and private property and injury
to individuals.
Nowadays 'Bandhs' are used by political parties or
organisations to exhibit their so-called 'strength',
by collecting people who have no interest in social
justice and who congregate either because they have
been paid to do so, or because they have been
emotionally charged or brainwashed into participating.
Nothing is really achieved by these 'bandhs' other
than satisfying the insecure egos of dubious leaders.
Bandhs become vulgar public shows, head-counts of
those 'in favour' of the "cause". In the process,
anti-social elements and mindless clods have a field
day by burning vehicles, looting shops, jamming the
wheels of progress and preventing the ordinary
citizens from earning their daily bread.
In general, the constant effort of the anti-people
groups and organisations is to do "what will please
the people" and not "what will benefit the people".
Bandhs in the present circumstance mean that
peace-loving people should remain at home while the
communal and Mafia-style mobs are allowed to do
whatever they want. That is exactly what happened in
all the last bandhs called by VHP and BJP. Any bandh
called in such a situation, and that too by known
communal organisations, should be firmly dealt with.

Rohit Prajapati
Trupti Shah
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

____

#5.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
News Flash

AI Index: ASA 20/018/2002 (Public)
News Service No: 168
24 September 2002

India: All civilians in Gujarat must be protected

Amnesty International expressed grave concern at the killing today of=20
more than 20 people in an attack on a Hindu temple in the Indian=20
state of Gujarat. The organization called on the state authorities=20
to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to provide protection to=20
civilians in the state, regardless of political or religious=20
affiliation.

Violence erupted in Gujarat in February 2002, when 59 people=20
were killed in an attack on a train. In the days that followed,=20
thousands of people, most of whom were Muslim, were targetted in=20
widespread violence. Local human rights groups believe that as many=20
as 2000 people were killed. Many tens of thousands of others remain=20
internally displaced, fearing to return to their homes.

Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office=20
in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web:=20
http://www.amnesty.org

For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org

_____

#6.

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